New-York tribune., 1887-04-24
READY FOR THE JUMPERS.
RocKAwAY RACES TO BEGIN ON SATURDAY.


SCHOOLING srEEPLECHAsERs-J0LLY SIR JOHN
INCIDENTS or THE Tuxy
The racing season Is at hand. At cedarhust on
Saturday the bell WIN ring calling the horses to thd
post. the starters nag VIII fall tho thrilling cry
"Theyre OFF" win issue from thousands Of throatsS
and glasses win be leyeed at the struggling dsd o1
racers, rising and falling Over the timber. speeding
across tho Intervening fat taking fight gters
ing brooks, and sweeping to victory aud defeat.
There attraction about seeplechasng that charms
tho womanly understanding. Nay tho dag be faif
enough to tempt fair women to put on their new
| spring gowns and mako the grand stand and club
house prettier than they ever were before. Tho
Rockaway steeplechase Association has omitted to do
nothing that would tend to the Of the meeting
There VIII be little jumping elsewhere this year. and
those who love this oid-time sport will have few al
opportunities for enjoying 1t VIII be afforded hem
at Cedarhurst
such steeplechasing they In Ireland In 1852.
when Mr. O'Calaghan and Mr. Blake, Of blessed
memory. raced four and o hall miles Of country
from tho church Of Butterant to the spirc OF ST.
Leger Church. Nor will they witness anything Ike tho
famous In Leicestershire In 1792 Tho distances
eight nlcs, from Barkly Holt to the Coplow and
back. Charles Meyne1 won, with Lord Fofester
second and Sir Gilbert Heathcoc third Sir Giberts
horse was very tat. you win remember. and LORD
Forester favorite Mr. Ecedham. Of Hangcrtons
said to his ordship: "I'n save you hundred yards
you'll come through my garden and Jump tho gata
into the road"
No. stecplcchasing is not what 10 used to be. II
has been modernized that even the word b Mss
nomer From q brcakneck race across country from
steeple to another anywhere from fourto twenty
miles apart, 1t has degenerated to dash Of mila
or two over o few easy sticks and puddle called
brook, placed at convenient intervals In an ovat
course. Still. fun i comparative. and for those whs
better tho steeplechases Of TO-DAY are exc
ceDent sport
The Jumpers are going to school every day. Soma
do their lessons easily andwe others are canddates
for the Ounce cap. Should the early driver along
Jerome-aye. hear the crashing Of timber 81 ha
passes the park let him not take fright. 1t b only
Jolly Sir John and Palanca trying the sticks on DEAD
Head Hill. Mr.. Barretto will not let schooling %
dono on the turf "Tom" Little and Paiana "A
and Barbee and Jolly Sir John froo together on the
hill outside They get on famousy. Palanea and
"Tom" keep a sharp eye on each other as usual The
old mare is as frisky o colt but she goes where
atom" puts her. jolly Sir John has the unaVorY
reputation OF being excellent horse at homo qua
always in difficulties when away He wss prom"
mont favorite for the Grand National In 1883. On
his familiar training ground he could not mako q
mistake had no idea Of o refusal and never fell
At Liverpool he bunged at tho first fence and cana
down at the third; at Sandown and elsewhere ne
also came to grict But later In his career ne did
better. Good things are expected OF him now thao
away from homo the Grand National, for which be 10
well In at 157 pounds, ought to go to him, notwith'
standing the dangerous Major Pickett (l67). What
pity 1t is Bourke Cochran Will not be there to show
some of those green chasers how TO Jump.
Tho schooling of q green jumper Is sight worth
going to Brighton Beach to An old chaser is
provided to lead the young ones. or green ones
for frequently aged horses that have done duty on
the fat are trained to jump-over their fences AZ ns
In order that they may recognize what expec'eu %
them There's nothing Ike the foroe Oh example,
Tho leader sets OF toward the fence and clears it In
his stride. After him comes pupil No. 1, who pricks
up his ears and bounds with spring big enough
enough to clear rails. Then he looAs rouni 70 SEQ
what he has done the rider Iats his neca' ana ootn
feel exceedingly proud. When pupil comes 70 sne
next little fence-frequently nothing sther than an
arrnful OF brush-he stops an instant TO examine Is
hut no saw the leader 20 over IL and he follows
Pupil No. makes fuss al every obstacle, no mates
how small. No amount Of coaAlng VIII inauoe NM
TO lump over the fence. He smeils IT, iooks o'ef
It, Iuts one foot partly in it, draws IT pacA ao'ahos
tho other, and finally gives It up The trainer eoi1os
I'd and kicAs the brush about to show tAas tneE9
10 nothing harmiul about It Inc ss.cmN
Is rvpealed eventually the feat Is sS accom-. s
plshed Sometimes tho pupn has 10 20 punSu p "
one OF the most brilliant Of Enepsh cnasefs "nes
actually pulled over his eafiy jumps with oarEfopes'
80 had & vas to geIsIle tSat hi ks nat1ri deish
in jumping make the best stecplecnasers, put not
few Isc
custoed the business they are never n suon s""A
Alter the pap gone over few little fences % he he
is put bigger ones the height Lelns ceased sd'
S 70 the brink allowed TO look over The gltterin
surface critically u no likes and quesiy uised ~
tha Iap A splash In the brook once In whIid
viii do him no harm. 1t teaches him that there there Is
nothing dangerous about the water such h9rses as
Regal zansbar, Wheatley brunoVa and 20 Eoiistran an
last year and gave up IL 70 30 ont OF fsS
SpaHd Natona and the Queens County Hurdle hs p
hacins In India Is not What IL % gSea 70 De- rot Sa' m
curious stakes at Bengal Is the Matrimonial sIlses,
o, tSs ao be- the winner is allowed need of
bis victory, to choose from the nnmareu go 1a rac -
a,pe'tsS is sso Snoroos A Stakes. EaeR rider q
starting must rs sSdsSor sSsss to keep Smoking us Ss
reaches the winning post Ths Sansty Of smoke
ls o,ssu%es not trfaing The start takes pAce
under a perfect cloud each person punng lle Z
sse Word says an eye witness Of this peeuas
contest "away goes the smoky t,ex Ts
Pbe 70 the lookerson Others bolt In the direc-
ton Of bungalows, apparently py mutual qua, tSngS
Without retaining light, and, pt rhaps one or two
most inveteratc smokers come III Ia as 'A'eA "'' 49,
they departed with.
1t is of good to deny tnas % tboas
saDds Of men and boys, and provides ENTERTAINMENT
for tens Of thousand moro There Is no reason 70
noss that the thoroughbred IL deteroratins on tns
contary many OF the best judges believe that ne nas
vastly Improved True the tests OF stamina 70 ~aUn %
ha Vas formerly subjected arc not deuamed OF hn,s
h. ~ ,hsy were experts convinced that the nioe-
@ uus arresentatircs OK turf would not IAN In hns
t tbis wear provision has been made for 24o Gss
snu .rS apd nearly g. 500 600 IA to be run Tor sony
so horses viii compete for this enormous sum Lss
.ar 0To animals ran undcr Jockey Club rules os
ich s77 were two-y year-ots 500 three-yearolds ana
wnon ni re- o. reay and inward These proportions reps
resent about the average OF many years
p.,.,ott,s History of tho United States" says that
. ,ssa aSbS horse was multiplied in Virginia, and ia
improyo that noble animal early object Oh prds
,aygnr-d hy legisation-speed was especially vaiued
% OH RominIon is Justly regarded as tho mother OF
.ha t,rf as well as the mother OF Prosdents for